In 1596 A.D. Sir John Harrington, godson of Queen Elizabeth, made the first flush toilet. John made it mainly for himself and the Queen. Unfortunately, his friends made fun of him and he never made another one until two hundred years later alexander Cumming reinvented it! He called it the now known "water closet". While Cummings invented the strap, sliding valve between the bowl and the trap, Samuel Prosser invented the valve at the bottom of the bowl that is on a hinge. Samuel also got a patent on a plunger closet. The effects of the flushing toilet is tremendous. Toilets are now extremely sanitary and efficient than the previous ways.